Lieutenant Mason acknowledged the order and swiftly made the adjustments. Commander Evans passed the order on to the rest of the fleet.
-
In space, strike commander Major Livingston grimaced as his wingman’s fighter exploded in a fiery ball of flame. Everywhere he looked, there were tracer rounds and bright missile flares from interceptors. “We have the advantage now since the fighters from the carriers have arrived,” he spoke over his com to the various fighter squadrons. Concentrate on the enemy and let’s thin them out.”
Turning sharply the major dove down toward a Hocklyn fighter, pressing the firing button for his two 30 mm cannons. Instantly tracer rounds arched out toward the enemy fighter, striking it just behind the pilot’s canopy. The fighter exploded, and Livingston had to pull up to avoid flying through the fiery remains. He was just locking on to his next target when a Hocklyn interceptor missile struck his fighter. The human fighter exploded in a ball of light, taking the strike commander along with it.
-
Commodore Krilen swore as one of his dreadnoughts vanished from the sensor screen. The battle was growing more intense, and both sides were losing ships. He felt the IronHand shake violently, and the lights in the War Room dimmed briefly.
“We’re taking damage,” War Leader Angoth reported as several red lights flared up on the damage control console. “We have several compartments open to space.”
“We have them outnumbered,” replied Krilen, feeling that victory was within his grasp. “Have our ships focus their fire on the enemy capital ships; we can finish off their lighter units later.”
The Hocklyn fleet turned every weapon on the human’s heavier ships filling space with deadly ordnance. One of their targets was a Monarch heavy cruiser, which had become cut off from the rest of the human fleet. Its energy screen was suddenly overwhelmed as a dozen deep blue Hocklyn energy beams struck the screen simultaneously. The shield collapsed as two Hocklyn nuclear missiles arrived, detonating against the ship’s heavy armor. For a moment, the ship seemed to shrug off the deadly nuclear explosions, but then the hull melted away, allowing the raging nuclear inferno to incinerate the engine room, as well as the ship’s main fusion reactor. The Monarch blew apart as its nuclear self-destructs went off.
-
Admiral Sheen watched the main viewscreen as it showed the Monarch’s destruction. All that was left of the cruiser was a fiery mass of wreckage and glowing gas. She knew with a sick feeling in her stomach that over eight hundred people had just died on that ship.
“Monarch cruiser Dresden is down,” Lieutenant Stalls reported stone-faced. Those frightful words had been repeated too often in the last several minutes as more human ships had fallen to the Hocklyns.
Just as he finished saying the words, his sensor screen lit up with numerous green icons that were flashing into being. “Admiral Adler and Admiral Gaines have arrived,” he reported with relief.
-
Commodore Krilen stared at the main sensor screen in anger. More human ships had arrived and very shortly he would be heavily outnumbered. If he didn’t do something quickly, he was in danger of losing his entire fleet. He was trapped in the gravity well of the planet and would have to fight his way through heavy opposition to extricate his fleet. He realized now that it had been foolish to take his entire fleet into the gravity well to begin with. His own overconfidence was going to be his undoing. His dream of becoming a Fleet Commodore was evaporating before his eyes.
“Honor is before us,” First Leader Angoth spoke as he gazed at the new human arrivals. He knew that victory against such numbers was not possible. The human weapons were too good, and their energy screens were just as strong as Hocklyn screens, if not better. They would die with honor today.
“I think not,” replied Krilen, making a swift decision. “The High Council has ordered us to preserve our fleet at all costs and not to sacrifice ships needlessly. Have all ships form up into our standard defensive formation. We will fight our way out of the gravity well and then jump to safety.”
Angoth stared at the commodore in shock. He had heard of the new orders not to sacrifice ships to preserve Hocklyn honor, he had just never expected to experience it. “As you command,” he replied as he began carrying out the order.
The offensive fire from the Hocklyn ships lessened as they maneuvered into a more powerful defensive formation. They were almost in a sphere, with the escorts on the outside and the heavier ships on the inside. The Hocklyns began disengaging from the human ships and started accelerating toward the edge of the planet’s gravity well in an attempt to escape.
-
Admiral Adler saw instantly what the Hocklyns were doing. There had been some discussion as to whether the Hocklyns would stand and fight to the last ship or try to preserve their fleet. Now they knew the answer.
“Launch our bombers,” ordered Adler, looking over at his executive officer Colonel Timmons. “Target their escorts while Admiral Gaines engages the heavies.”
-
Major Karl Arcles felt the acceleration as he flew his Anlon bomber out of the Wasp’s large flight bay. All sixteen battlecarriers were launching every bomber they had in a desperate attempt to hit the Hocklyns before they could clear the planet’s gravity well and escape. Arcles quickly formed up the Wasp’s squadrons and then set course for the Hocklyn warships.
“I thought you promised we wouldn’t be in a bomber again,” Captain Lacy Sanders complained from her seat behind the major. She loved flying the new fighters, but she passionately disliked the bombers.
“This is war, Captain,” Karl replied with a grin. “Besides, we get a chance to fire nukes at a Hocklyn ship. I knew you wouldn’t want to miss out on that.”
“Boys and their toys,” Lacy muttered as she activated the forward energy shield for the bomber.
-
From the sixteen carriers, over 1,500 hundred bombers launched. Several squadrons of Talon fighters also launched to serve as escorts. In a massive wave, they set course for the Hocklyn ships.
“Bomber strike away,” Colonel Timmons reported as the tactical display lit up with a cloud of green icons representing the outbound strike. Timmons studied the screen for a moment before turning toward the admiral. “Our bombers will reach the Hocklyns two minutes before they clear the gravity well and can jump.”
Admiral Adler nodded; he then sent orders over to Admiral Gaines to follow the bomber strike with his fleet. If the timing was right, they should be able to take out the majority, if not all of the Hocklyn ships.
-
Commodore Krilen snarled in frustration at the main sensor screen as it told its deadly story. The humans had launched their small bombers toward his fleet. Thirty-eight of the newly arrived warships were following in the bombers’ wake to finish off any Hocklyn ships that survived the bomber strike.
“They will reach us with both the small bombers and their fleet reinforcements before we can clear the gravity well,” Angoth reported as he studied his tactical screen. Then, standing straight and putting his right hand upon the center of his chest armor, he turned and faced the commodore. “Honor comes for us today.”
“Honor be damned!” Krilen cried as he thought desperately about how to preserve his fleet. It was obvious the humans had laid a trap for him due to his own carelessness in entering the planet’s gravity well. There had to be a way out of this!
“Order all escorts to move forward into a wall shielding our dreadnoughts and war cruisers from the human bombers,” Krilen ordered as he thought of a possible solution. It was desperate and would cost him most of his fleet, but it should allow his heavier units to survive.
“That will leave us open to attack from the fleet we have been engaging,” Angoth warned. The two fleets were still firing upon each other, though the fire had lessened as the Hocklyn fleet began to pull away and flee toward the edge of the gravity well.
“Do as I say,” Commodore Krilen ordered in a cold and determined voice. �
�All dreadnoughts and war cruisers are to be prepared for high speed maneuvers upon my command!”
-
“Close the range,” Admiral Sheen ordered as the Hocklyn fleet tried to disengage from Second Fleet. “We must not let them escape!”
On the tactical display, she watched as the Hocklyn escort cruisers moved ahead of the heavier ships to meet the incoming wave of Anlon bombers. Her own ships were now closing the distance between the two fleets, even though it was evident the Hocklyn fleet was rapidly accelerating toward the edge of the gravity well of the planet in an attempt to escape. Missiles and railguns were finding fewer targets at the increased speeds even though energy weapons on both sides were still highly effective.
Amanda winced as another of her light cruisers exploded as deep blue energy beams from two Hocklyn dreadnoughts tore the smaller ship apart. Her fleet’s own energy weapons were focused on a war cruiser, blasting through its screen and ripping into the armored hull. She felt satisfaction as the damaged ship’s self-destructs finally detonated, shredding the ship into thousands of small glowing pieces.
-
Major Arcles swore as a railgun round from one of the Hocklyn light cruisers slammed into his bomber’s forward shield. The shield seemed to waver briefly as the round spent itself.
“Shield’s holding,” reported Lacy, nervously, as she studied her instruments. “But just barely. We can’t take too many more hits like that. Can’t you dodge a few?”
“We’re almost within range,” Karl replied as he swerved the bomber to avoid an inbound interceptor missile. He watched as Lacy fired off several counter measures, drawing the missile farther away from their bomber.
His eyes focused intently on his tactical display, and suddenly four green lights blinked on his targeting console indicating he had a good lock on the escort cruiser that was firing on his bomber. Karl juked the bomber several times in sharp curves and then when he was sure he was close enough, released the bomber’s four Shrike missiles. Each contained a one-kiloton nuclear warhead.
Looking out his cockpit window, he saw a sudden fiery explosion as an Anlon bomber was destroyed by Hocklyn defensive fire. It wasn’t the first bomber to die, and it wouldn’t be the last. “All bombers return to the carriers as soon as you’ve fired your missiles,” he ordered grimly. “Don’t stick around to see if you get any hits.”
Lacy looked out the cockpit window, feeling nauseous. She saw numerous explosions where human bombers were dying. Shaking her head, she refocused her attention on her instruments. She could see that the Hocklyns were firing a lot of interceptor missiles toward the bombers in an attempt to destroy them before they could launch their deadly payloads. Pressing several buttons, she launched additional counter measures as well as two small decoys that should serve to attract any inbound missile. Hopefully, that would allow them to clear the combat zone. After this, she was determined that there would be no more bombers for her!
-
Commodore Krilen grimaced as a nuke penetrated the IronHand’s energy screen and detonated against the dreadnought’s heavily armored hull. The entire ship shook violently, and the damage control console became lit up with numerous red warning lights.
“The hull has been seriously compromised,” First Leader Angoth reported as he listened to reports coming in from around the ship. “We’ve lost a number of railgun batteries as well as four of our missile tubes, and we’re venting atmosphere.”
Krilen looked closely at the sensor screen, which showed the human bomber strike decimating his escort cruisers. “All dreadnoughts and war cruisers are to switch to heading 120-90 by 30,” he ordered his cold eyes looking at the main viewscreen, which was lit up with exploding ships. “When we reach the edge of the gravity well all ships are to jump to system K-416.”
“What about our war wings?” asked Angoth, knowing that they would all be destroyed if they were left behind.
“Honor comes for them today,” Krilen replied in a grave voice.
-
Amanda had ordered Second Fleet to continue to close with the fleeing Hocklyn capital ships. It was now obvious to her that the commodore in charge of this fleet was going to sacrifice his escorts to allow the dreadnoughts and war cruisers to escape. Admiral Gaines could not change his course in time since it would allow the surviving escort cruisers to close on the battlecarriers. He would have to eliminate them first before he could turn his fleet toward the fleeing enemy capital ships.
“Twenty seconds to the edge of the gravity well,” Commander Evans reported as weapons fire from the WarStorm and two strikecruisers tore apart another enemy war cruiser. She watched as its red icon expanded and then vanished from the tactical screen.
“They’re going to get away,” Amanda spoke as the Hocklyn fleet crossed the edge of the planet’s gravity well and began to vanish into white spatial vortexes as they jumped into the safety of hyperspace.
“Not many of them,” Commander Evans responded. She studied some data on the tactical display and then turned back toward Admiral Sheen. “Only four of their dreadnoughts and six of their war cruisers managed to jump into hyperspace. We got the rest of them.”
-
The surviving Hocklyn escort cruisers saw that the dreadnoughts and war cruisers had jumped into hyperspace and realized that they were now on their own with no hope of escape. Without hesitation, the sixteen surviving escort cruisers redlined their subspace drives and targeted the approaching human ships. Even though they were all heavily damaged, just the mass of their ships alone would be deadly weapons. Honor would be served in their sacrifice.
The escort cruisers charged toward the inbound human fleet, but Admiral Gaines had been prepared for this. A massive wave of Devastator missiles launched as every missile tube in Fifth Fleet was emptied. Escort cruiser after escort cruiser died as nuclear fire consumed their ships, but five of them managed to burst through the rain of nuclear fire and hurl themselves upon Fifth Fleet.
Admiral Gaines looked in sudden shock at the main viewscreen as he saw a burning Hocklyn escort cruiser growing impossibly large on the main viewscreen. His flagship shook violently and he was thrown out of his command chair, landing painfully against the plotting table. Lights in the Command Center went out, and he could see numerous fires breaking out as consoles shorted out and died. In the distance, he could hear explosions and people screaming out in terror and pain.
The emergency lights in the Command Center came on, but the ship was now shaking uncontrollably as explosions rocked the battlecruiser. He didn’t have to check the damage control console to know that his ship was mortally wounded. It was at that moment that the self-destructs in the flagship activated, blowing the ship apart and ensuring its total destruction.
-
Admiral Sheen looked on in shock as the main viewscreen showed the death of Admiral Gaines’s flagship. “It’s gone,” she said in a stunned voice. A Monarch cruiser and two light cruisers had also been destroyed in the final suicide attack.
Commander Evans said nothing as she stared at the viewscreen. Everyone in the Command Center was silent as they watched the burning wreckage of what had been Fifth Fleet’s flagship.
“Admiral Adler is ordering us to rendezvous with Fifth Fleet, and you are to take command,” Lieutenant Trask said suddenly into the silence.
Amanda nodded and turned wearily to Commander Evans. “What’s the status of our fighters?”
“The fighter battle is over, and all the Hocklyn fighters have been destroyed,” the commander reported.
“Order the fighters to return home and set course for Fifth Fleet,” Amanda ordered. “We need to initiate repairs and prepare to return to Careth. Some of our ships will need to go back into the repair docks. Also, get me a status on our losses.”
After a few minutes, Second Fleet rendezvoused with Fifth Fleet and Admiral Sheen carefully formed the two fleets up into a defensive formation while repairs were made. Admiral Adler was busy with the carriers as they wer
e involved in rescue operations for any surviving pilots from the fighters and the bombers.
“I have our losses,” Commander Evans reported as she walked over grim faced to Admiral Sheen. “We lost one battlecruiser, three Monarch cruisers, and twelve light cruisers. We also lost one hundred and thirty-four fighters.”
“What about Fifth Fleet?” Amanda asked. “What were their losses?”
“One battlecruiser, one Monarch cruiser, and two light cruisers, all from the suicide attack. They also lost four hundred and sixty-two Anlon bombers.”
Amanda knew the battle could be considered a major victory for the Federation, but it had left a sour taste in her mouth at the way it had ended. “How long before we can jump?” she asked, leaning back in her command chair and rubbing her forehead.
“Two hours and all ships should have sufficient repairs made to make it back to Careth,” Commander Evans replied.
Amanda nodded. She had spoken briefly with Admiral Adler. She was to jump both fleets back to the bears’ system and then send all the undamaged ships to Admiral Streth’s location. Admiral Adler would go straight to the fleet base to speak to Admiral Streth about the recent battle and Admiral Gaines death. Amanda let out a deep breath and thought about all the fleet personnel that had just died. Sometimes she wished she wasn’t an admiral, and she knew that all of those deaths would haunt her for a very long time. It was moments like this that she really wished Richard were near. Amanda knew she was in for some sleepless nights.
Chapter Seven
President Kincaid was in his office being briefed by Fleet Admiral Johnson on the latest battle in Operation First Strike. The two had been discussing the losses suffered by both sides and possible ramifications.
“I believe the Hocklyns were just feeling us out,” Admiral Johnson spoke as she handed the president a list of ship and personnel losses. “There were no AI ships present and the weapons and energy screens that these ships possessed were no more powerful than those we have faced in the past.”
The Slaver Wars: Retaliation (The Slaver Wars Book Five) Page 10